Ronald Dellums: “Mr. Chairman, first I rise in support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from West Virginia [Mr. Wise], my…”

“Mr. Chairman, first I rise in support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from West Virginia [Mr. Wise], my distinguished colleague. But I recognize, as everyone in this Chamber recognizes, this amendment will fail, because that is not the nature of how this House is presently organized. So my remarks will go to the result of what will happen here. We are now in the final hours of our discussion and debate on the issue of the line-item veto. I would like to place this action in some kind of stark reality. Mr. Chairman, what we are about to do today and on Monday is going to, for the balance of our lifetimes, every single person in this Chamber for the balance of our lifetimes, we are changing the nature of American Government. And more people are probably watching a murder trial at this very moment than are paying attention to what we are about to do to the very fragile notion of the balance of power that has made this Government a shining light of democracy throughout the world.”